'Test Drive Unlimited 2' (PS3)

Released over four years ago, the first Test Drive Unlimited game took the long-running Test Drive franchise in a bold new direction, daring to dream of a truly open world where motoring enthusiasts could indulge their thirst for speed on the vast Hawaiian island of Oahu. Numerous games have arrived since then, often making a more polished - and indeed popular - job of open-world racing, particularly the latter Need for Speed and Midnight Club titles. But Test Drive Unlimited retains a place in gamers' hearts for the sheer scale of its ambition and scope. For the sequel, developer Eden Games has stayed true to the formula, delivering a rich, deep and involving open-world racing experience. Test Drive Unlimited 2 falls down slightly on scrappy graphics and design bugs, but the incredible variety of enjoyable things to do makes the game still a paradise for petrolheads.

The majority of action in TDU2 occurs on the sun-soaked, Balearic island of Ibiza - complete with glistening villas, glorious beaches and beautiful people (the more rugged Oahu is unlocked later as the player progresses). Career mode opens with the player at a rather dismal pool party on their birthday, being given a shiny new Ferrari California to joyride around the island. But oh no! It's actually all a dream and you are just a lowly valet, right at the bottom of the ladder. However, a feisty, female TV presenter called Miami offers the chance to shoot for the big bucks at the Solar Crown race circuit. TDU2 attempts to wrap a story around the career to inject more purpose, but a truly terrible script and clunky voice acting gives the game the feel of a poor quality US daytime soap. Thankfully, though, this is so bad that it actually becomes endearingly laughable after a while, plus the open-world racing always keeps things moving forward.

All features from Test Drive Unlimited have either been tweaked or expanded for the sequel, including masses of space on the island of Ibiza providing plenty of fun for solo or community players. When online, the game essentially works as a massive playground, in which players can do whatever they want: take on challenges, modify their car or just cruise around looking for fun. Single players can take on a range of races, including road circuits and off-road challenges exploring miles of open terrain. There are loads more multiplayer challenges too, including co-op races and chases reminiscent of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. The community features have also been expanded to include car clubs and user-driven challenges to make the most of the MMO environment.

Progression in TDU2 is based around 60 levels spread across four areas - Competition, Collection, Discovery and Social. Competition involves taking on single and multiplayer races, speed challenges and time trials. Similarly to Midnight Club: Los Angeles, players can signal to other people in the world that they are ready to race by flashing their lights. The system works well and has a nice ad hoc, flexible feel to it. There are also races connected to the story and the myriad of terrible characters in the world. Collection covers all purchase and personalisation of cars, homes and other items, while Discovery rewards exploration, such as tracking down car wrecks or taking photos. Social is all about integrating with the community - making friends, racing and joining clubs. The balance of activity between the areas adds purpose to the experience, though some players may find themselves stuck doing challenges they are less than enthusiastic about to earn enough points to unlock Oahu.

TDU2 is certainly not going to beat Gran Turismo 5 or Forza Motorsport 3 in the graphical stakes. Some of its textures are less than impressive, giving the feel of a cheap US TV program with a hefty layer of Vaseline not hiding the wobbly sets. However, there is also a sense of magic to the game's huge sandbox world, particularly in the dynamic weather system that models everything from blistering sunshine to dark storm clouds. The world feels alive, real and a good place to spend some time, a feature that will most likely get even better when more players populate the island. Cruising around in an open-top Ferrari, taking in the sights and soaking up the sun is pretty much always a fun experience.

Handling for all the high performance cars in TDU2 falls rather short of the heights reached by GT5. The game suffers from a slight middle ground between a race simulator and an arcade racer, never really satisfying either aspect. Players are well advised to bypass the default control setting and opt for the Sport (intermediary) or Hardcore (no driver aids) settings. Whatever you choose, though, it's important to remember that the game requires balanced use of brake and accelerator to really succeed. Other issues surface with the game, including an irksome set of bugs, such as network performance problems and inconsistent game physics. The user interface is clunky as well, with far too many menus carrying far too much information that is actually quite hard to even read.

Overall, TDU2 continues the magic of its predecessor, but also has many of its problems. The vehicle handling is still rather twitchy and unsatisfying, while the average graphics and occasional bugs threaten to spoil the party. However, the sheer scale and ambition of the game's online vision is hard not to admire. There is simply so much to do in TDU2, both in single and multiplayer, and the majority of the activity is an absolute blast. The big question is why someone would buy TDU2 over GT5, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit or any of the other great racers currently on the market. Well, if you are all about the content and don't mind a few niggles and issues along the way, then TDU2's Ibiza could well become your new motoring paradise.